Sasha Dikotla is a talented hockey player who was discovered age 14 while at provincial trials. She was offered an
Investec “Developing Women in Sport” scholarship to St Mary’s, a top Johannesburg private school. She was awarded half colours this year for her selection in the U16 SA team, and for playing for the 1st team at school from grade 10. She tells us more about her journey thus far, and what she hopes to achieve in the future.
How did you end up at St Mary’s?
In Grade 8, while at Crawford College, I tried out for the Gauteng provincial team, and once I made it in, I was scouted and asked if I was interested in coming to St Mary’s as part of a sports development programme funded by Investec. I started here at the beginning of Grade 9, two years ago.
How did you get into playing hockey?
When I got to Crawford I’d never heard of hockey and I thought it looked interesting, but I wasn’t fully convinced. My mom was very overprotective, and worried I’d get hit with the ball or stick! However one of the coaches convinced me to try the sport, and I’m so glad they did.
What has sport taught you about life?
I’m a really shy person, with not a lot of confidence when it comes to speaking to people. But I’d urge young kids to play sport, because it gives you loads of opportunities. When you make provincial and club teams, you get to meet a lot of new people (whether it’s players or coaches), which helps build your confidence.
Sport also teaches you determination. When I arrived at St Mary’s I expected to make it into the 1st team, but was surprised at how high the hockey standards were, and I only made the second team. I set a goal to make first team by Grade 10, which I succeeded in doing.